عَجِبتُI marveled كُلَّall العَجَبِthe amazement
عَجِبتُ كُلَّ العَجَبِ
مِنat سَيرِthe movement of هذاthis المَركَبِthe vessel
مِن سَيرِ هذا المَركَبِ
I was utterly astonished
I am filled with wonder
at the movement of this vessel.
At the sailing of this ship
وَماand not لَهُit has عَينٌan eye وَلاnor
وَما لَهُ عَينٌ وَلا
روحٌa soul جَرَتcoursed فيthrough عَصَبِsinews
روحٌ جَرَت في عَصَبِ
And it has no eye, nor
Though it has no eyes or
a soul coursing through sinews.
Spirit flowing through its veins
لِجامُهُits bridle مِنfrom خَلفِهِbehind it
لِجامُهُ مِن خَلفِهِ
مُرَكَّبٌfitted فيin الذَنَبِthe tail
مُرَكَّبٌ في الذَنَبِ
Its bridle is behind it,
Its rudder is attached
fitted to its tail.
To its rear end
مُزَيَّنٌadorned بِالوَدعِwith cowries فيupon الthe
مُزَيَّنٌ بِالوَدعِ في ال
صَدرِbreast وَرَمعِand the fluttering of العَذَبِthe tassels
صَدرِ وَرَمعِ العَذَبِ
Adorned with cowries upon the
Adorned with calm in its
breast, and with fluttering tassels,
Chest and gleaming elegance
وَمالَهُand it has no مِنany ثَفَرٍcrupper
وَمالَهُ مِن ثَفَرٍ
وَمالَهُand it has no مِنany لَبَبِbreastband
وَمالَهُ مِن لَبَبِ
and it has no crupper,
It has no lips or
and it has no breastband.
Articulate speech
سِياطُهُits whips فيduring سَيرِهِits travel
سِياطُهُ في سَيرِهِ
دَفعُthe thrusting of مَراديpunting poles الخَشَبِwood
دَفعُ مَرادي الخَشَبِ
Its whips, as it travels, are
Its whips propel it
the thrust of wooden punting poles.
According to my desires
إِذاwhen اِستَحَثَّتهُurged it onward مَجاoars (first part of split word)
إِذا اِستَحَثَّتهُ مَجا
ذيفٌoars (completion of split word) لَهُbelonging to it فيin الطَلَبِthe pursuit
ذيفٌ لَهُ في الطَلَبِ
When it is spurred onward by
When its sails are stirred
its oars in pursuit,
By the winds pursuing it
أَعنَقَit sped along فَوقَover الماءِthe water فيin
أَعنَقَ فَوقَ الماءِ في
هَملَجَةٍan amble أَوor خَبَبِa trot
هَملَجَةٍ أَو خَبَبِ
it speeds over the water in
It rears up over the water
an amble or a trot.
Snorting and bellowing
لِلماءِfor the water فيin حَيزومِهِits breast
لِلماءِ في حَيزومِهِ
مِنfrom صَوتِthe sound of مُوجٍwaves صَخِبِclamorous
مِن صَوتِ مُوجٍ صَخِبِ
The water within its breast,
The water in its nozzle
with the sound of clamorous waves,
Roars like tumultuous waves
حَشرَجَةٌa gurgling كَالرَعدِlike thunder فيin
حَشرَجَةٌ كَالرَعدِ في
عارِضِa cloud of غَيثٍrain لَجِبِroaring
عارِضِ غَيثٍ لَجِبِ
gurgles like thunder in
Thundering as when
a cloud of roaring rain.
Heavy rains pour down
يَنسابُit glides كَالحَيَّةِlike a snake فيin
يَنسابُ كَالحَيَّةِ في
عَطفِthe curve of ذُنابيthe tail of العَقرَبِthe scorpion
عَطفِ ذُنابي العَقرَبِ
It glides like a snake in
It glides like a snake
the curve of a scorpion's tail.
Slithering sideways
لَهُit has شِراعٌa sail مُشرِفٌlofty
لَهُ شِراعٌ مُشرِفٌ
كَالبَندِlike a banner يَومَon the day of الشَغَبِtumult
كَالبَندِ يَومَ الشَغَبِ
It has a lofty sail,
With a towering sail
like a banner on a day of tumult,
Like a banner on a day of turmoil
مُنتَصِبٌupright تَجذُبُهُpull it الthe
مُنتَصِبٌ تَجذُبُهُ ال
أَرسانُhalter-ropes جَذبَthe pulling of الطُنُبِtent ropes
أَرسانُ جَذبَ الطُنُبِ
upright, pulled by the
Standing erect, pulled
halter-ropes with the tug of tent ropes.
By the anchors, as rope is pulled
لِلرّيحِfor the wind فيهَwithin it حَنَّةٌa moan
لِلرّيحِ فيهَ حَنَّةٌ
مِنfrom جَريِهِits motion المُنجَذِبِdrawn along
مِن جَريِهِ المُنجَذِبِ
The wind moans within it
The wind makes it hum
from its motion as it is drawn along.
As it is drawn swiftly along
فُرسانُهُits horsemen الأَنباطُthe Nabataeans مِنfrom
فُرسانُهُ الأَنباطُ مِن
مَيسانَMaysan أَهلِpeople of الرِيَبِsuspicions
مَيسانَ أَهلِ الرِيَبِ
Its horsemen are the Nabataeans from
Its riders are the Anbat,
Maysan, a people of suspicion.
Devious people
وَكُلُّهُمand each of them مَنطِقُهُhis speech
وَكُلُّهُم مَنطِقُهُ
عِندَduring الرِضاcontentment بِالغَضَبِwith anger
عِندَ الرِضا بِالغَضَبِ
And each one's speech,
Their speech at the point
when pleased, is filled with anger;
Of contentment is wrath
وَالخَيرُand good وَالشَرُّand evil سَواalike (first part of split word)
وَالخَيرُ وَالشَرُّ سَوا
ءٌalike (completion of split word) عِندَهُto him فيin سَبَبِa cause
ءٌ عِندَهُ في سَبَبِ
and good and evil are
Good and evil are equal
alike to him in their cause.
To them in every respect
فَاِرمِso cast بِعَينَيكَwith your two eyes إِلىtoward الthe
فَاِرمِ بِعَينَيكَ إِلى ال
شَطَّينِtwo riverbanks عِندَbeside الكُثُبِthe dunes
شَطَّينِ عِندَ الكُثُبِ
So cast your eyes toward the
Cast your eyes along the banks
two banks beside the dunes.
Where at high tide
تَرىyou see رِجالاًmen رُكَّعاًbowed down
تَرى رِجالاً رُكَّعاً
فيin جَريِهِمtheir running كَالحُدُبِlike hunchbacks
في جَريِهِم كَالحُدُبِ
You see men bowed down,
You see men bent over
as they run, like hunchbacks.
As they race like hunchbacks
يَقفونَthey follow آثاراًtracks عَلىon
يَقفونَ آثاراً عَلى
جَذبَةِa tug خَيطِa cord of القُنَّبِhemp
جَذبَةِ خَيطِ القُنَّبِ
They follow tracks while
Following the wake
tugging at a cord of hemp,
Of a hemp rope’s pull
كَأَنَّهُمas though they were فيin وَهَقِthe noose of الthe
كَأَنَّهُم في وَهَقِ ال
أتراكِTurks عِندَduring الهَرَبِflight
أتراكِ عِندَ الهَرَبِ
as though in the noose of the
As if they were Turks
Turks while fleeing.
In headlong flight
إِذاwhen اِستَراحواthey rest فَهُمُthen they are
إِذا اِستَراحوا فَهُمُ
فيin راحَةٍrelief مِنfrom تَعَبِweariness
في راحَةٍ مِن تَعَبِ
When they rest, they are
When they rest, their rest
at ease from weariness.
Is from exhaustion
عالِيَةٌhigh أَصواتُهُمtheir voices
عالِيَةٌ أَصواتُهُم
عِندَduring الغِناءِsinging المُطرِبِstirring
عِندَ الغِناءِ المُطرِبِ
Their voices rise high
Loud are their voices
in stirring song,
When they sing cheerfully
بِماءِwith water (literal Arabic reading) باناbānā (untranslated sung word) كُلُّهُمall of them
بِماءِ بانا كُلُّهُم
لاnot بِلِسانِin the tongue of العَرَبِthe Arabs
لا بِلِسانِ العَرَبِ
all of them singing 'bi-māʾ bānā,'
All speaking the tongue
not in the tongue of the Arabs.
Not of the Arabs, but of Bana
Sol 6.1